Cipolat Marcell Machado, Matzenbacher Lucas Strassburger, de Barros Laura Gomes Boabaid, Haussen Ana Gabriela Rodrigues, Perrone Mariana Kude, Uchôa Helena Toniazzi, Corrêa Bianca Gomes, Gheno Vicenzo, da Costa Frederico Ludwig, Telo Gabriela Heiden
Medicine and Health Sciences Graduate Program, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
School of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2025 Jul 18;17(1):285. doi: 10.1186/s13098-025-01576-0.
Climate change has increased the frequency of natural disasters, challenging society in various aspects. Individuals living with chronic diseases are particularly vulnerable due to their constant need for medical care. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the unprecedented floods that hit Brazil in 2024 on the mental health of elderly with diabetes.
This is a cross-sectional study involving outpatient elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes in Southern Brazil. Participants were stratified into two groups according to the impact their residences suffered from the floods (directly vs. non-directly impacted). The study outcome was mental distress, assessed using the Self-Report Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20). Analyses of covariance and multivariable logistic regression were used for between-group comparisons.
A total of 80 elderly individuals were included, with a mean age of 72.5 ± 5.5 years old. Among the participants, 67.5% were women, and 57.5% were white. Fifty individuals were directly affected by the floods, while 30 were non-directly impacted. When compared, SRQ-20 scores were significantly higher in the directly impacted group, with an adjusted mean difference of 2.56 (95% CI: 0.42-4.70; p = 0.020), indicating higher mental distress among those directly impacted. Additionally, the prevalence of positive screening for mental distress was higher among those directly impacted by the floods (58% vs. 30%; adjusted OR = 4.16 [95% CI = 1.40-12.31], p = 0.010).
Our findings highlight the significant prevalence of mental distress among those directly impacted by climate disasters, underscoring the need for public policies and strategies focused on mental health during and after such disasters.
气候变化增加了自然灾害的发生频率，在各个方面对社会构成挑战。慢性病患者由于持续需要医疗护理，尤其脆弱。本研究旨在调查2024年袭击巴西的史无前例的洪水对老年糖尿病患者心理健康的影响。
这是一项横断面研究，涉及巴西南部门诊2型糖尿病老年患者。参与者根据其住所遭受洪水的影响程度（直接受影响与非直接受影响）分为两组。研究结果是心理困扰，使用自评问卷20（SRQ - 20）进行评估。采用协方差分析和多变量逻辑回归进行组间比较。
共纳入80名老年患者，平均年龄为72.5±5.5岁。参与者中，67.5%为女性，57.5%为白人。50人直接受到洪水影响，30人非直接受影响。相比之下，直接受影响组的SRQ - 20得分显著更高，调整后的平均差异为2.56（95%CI：0.42 - 4.70；p = 0.020），表明直接受影响者心理困扰更高。此外，洪水直接影响人群中心理困扰阳性筛查的患病率更高（58%对30%；调整后的OR = 4.16 [95%CI = 1.40 - 12.31]，p = 0.010）。
我们的研究结果突出了气候灾害直接影响人群中心理困扰的显著患病率，强调在此类灾害期间及之后需要制定关注心理健康的公共政策和策略。
